System and method for improving the peripheral vision of a subject

ABSTRACT

Systems and methods for improving the peripheral vision of a subject are disclosed. In one aspect, embodiments of the present disclosure includes a method, which may be embodied on a system, for improving peripheral vision of a subject using a visual marker on a display screen, the method includes, displaying a peripheral target on the display screen, the peripheral target having a visually discernible characteristic and determining whether the subject is able to correctly identify the peripheral target displayed on the display screen using the peripheral vision. The visual marker is intended for viewing using central vision of the subject and the peripheral target is intended for identification using the peripheral vision of the subject.

CLAIM OF PRIORITY

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.12/851,521 entitled “SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR IMPROVING THE PERIPHERALVISION OF A SUBJECT”, which was filed Aug. 5, 2010, which is acontinuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/353,904 entitled“SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR IMPROVING THE PERIPHERAL VISION OF A SUBJECT”,which was filed on Jan. 14, 2009, which claims priority to U.S.Provisional Patent Application No. 61/020,970 entitled “SYSTEMS ANDMETHODS TO ENHANCE VISUAL PERFORMANCE BY PRACTICING IDENTIFICATION INPERIPHERAL VISION”, which was filed on Jan. 14, 2008 the contents ofwhich are expressly incorporated by reference herein.

BACKGROUND

Human Vision is an information-processing task. The human eyes arecapable of looking at what is where but the brain processes andgenerates a representation of this information in its profusion ofcolor, form, motion and detail. The central vision (center of ourretina) has the highest visual acuity and discriminative vision. Visualacuity decreases with distance from the fovea (the center of the retina)to the periphery. The combined field of view of our both eyes isapproximately 180° with a 120° area of overlap (FIG. 7). In general, theperiphery is a larger low resolution field and the central is a smallerhigh resolution field.

The central area or fovea subtends only for 2.5° of our visual field butour head movements coupled with rapid eye saccadic eye movements givesthe impression that the combined field of view has a resolution similarto that of the foveal resolution (high resolution). The fovea uses alsothese saccadic eye movements to acquire peripheral targets. A large webpage, fixated at its center, creates the illusion of being equallylegible all over. It is only when we maintain our focus at the center ofthe web page and do not shift our eyes to the edge that we realize thatthe periphery is illegible. Our goal is to increase and maintain thequality of this large high resolution visual field by improvingidentification task of the peripheral (e.g., para-central) vision.

In one embodiment of the present invention, a vision-improving gamingsystem suitable for improving peripheral vision of a subject using avisual marker on a display screen during a gaming session is provided.The gaming system includes a vision improvement module coupled to avisual marker module, the vision improvement module being operable toprovide a peripheral target for display on the display screen in thegaming session, the peripheral target having a visually discerniblecharacteristic. The peripheral target is intended for identificationusing the peripheral vision of the subject. In the gaming session, thesubject attempts to identify the peripheral target. The gaming systemalso includes a performance assessment module coupled to an inputdetector module, the performance assessment module being operable todetermine whether the subject is able to identify the peripheral targetdisplayed on the display screen using the peripheral vision.

The gaming system may include a visual marker module, the visual markermodule being operable to generate the visual marker and to change theappearance of the visual marker. The visual marker is intended forviewing using central vision of the subject.

The gaming system may include an input detector module coupled to thevision improvement module, the input detector module being operable todetect input of the subject in attempts to identify the peripheraltarget.

The gaming system may include an image capture unit operable to capturean image or video of the subject's eyes to detect deviation of thecentral vision from the visual marker.

The performance assessment module may be further operable to determinewhether the subject is able to correctly identify the visuallydiscernible characteristic of the peripheral target, and to generateperformance data of the subject based on whether the subject is able tocorrectly identify the peripheral target. The performance assessmentmodule may be coupled to the image capture unit, and further operable toassess whether the subject is able to correctly identify the change inthe appearance of the visual marker to ensure that the peripheral targetis identified by the subject using the peripheral vision.

The gaming system may include a communication unit coupled to theperformance assessment module, the communication unit being operable towirelessly transmit the performance data of the subject.

The display screen may be a computer display, a TV screen, a display ofa head mounted unit, or the screen of a portable device.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A depicts a diagrammatic example of a subject engaged in visualactivities during a practice session using a portable device forimprovement or assessment of the peripheral vision.

FIG. 1B depicts an example of the contents of a display screen having avisual marker and peripheral targets for identification to improve orassess the subject's peripheral vision.

FIG. 2 depicts an example of a block diagram of a gaming system operableby a subject to engage in visual activities that improve his/herperipheral vision during a gaming or practice session.

FIG. 3A depicts an example of a portable device in the field of view ofa user's retina suitable for the user to engage in visual activitiesthat can improve or assess the peripheral vision of a user.

FIG. 3B depicts an example of a television screen in the field of viewof a user's retina suitable for the user to engage in visual activitiesthat can improve or assess the peripheral vision of a user.

FIG. 4 depicts a flow chart illustrating an example process forimproving peripheral vision of a subject using a visual marker on adisplay screen during a visual activity practice session.

FIG. 5A-D illustrate a series of example screenshots of the display of aportable device displaying a visual marker and peripheral targets foridentification by a subject during a visual activity practice session.

FIG. 6 illustrates another example of a screenshot of the display of aportable device displaying a visual marker and peripheral targets foridentification by a subject during a visual activity practice session.

FIG. 7 depicts a diagram illustrating a map of the combined visual fieldof both human eyes having the central vision field and the peripheralvision field.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments of the present disclosure includes a method, which may beembodied on a system, for improving peripheral vision of a subject usinga visual marker on a display screen, the method includes, displaying aperipheral target on the display screen, the peripheral target having avisually discernible characteristic and determining whether the subjectis able to correctly identify the peripheral target displayed on thedisplay screen using the peripheral vision.

Reference in this specification to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment”means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic describedin connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodimentof the disclosure. The appearances of the phrase “in one embodiment” invarious places in the specification are not necessarily all referring tothe same embodiment, nor are separate or alternative embodimentsmutually exclusive of other embodiments. Moreover, various features aredescribed which may be exhibited by some embodiments and not by others.Similarly, various requirements are described which may be requirementsfor some embodiments but are not required for other embodiments.

The terms used in this specification generally have their ordinarymeanings in the art, within the context of the disclosure, and in thespecific context where each term is used. Certain terms that are used todescribe the disclosure are discussed below, or elsewhere in thespecification, to provide additional guidance to the practitionerregarding the description of the disclosure. For convenience, certainterms may be highlighted, for example using italics and/or quotationmarks. The use of highlighting has no influence on the scope and meaningof a term; the scope and meaning of a term is the same, in the samecontext, whether or not it is highlighted. It will be appreciated thatsame thing can be said in more than one way.

Consequently, alternative language and synonyms may be used for any oneor more of the terms discussed herein, nor is any special significanceto be placed upon whether or not a term is elaborated or discussedherein. Synonyms for certain terms are provided. A recital of one ormore synonyms does not exclude the use of other synonyms. The use ofexamples anywhere in this specification including examples of any termsdiscussed herein is illustrative only, and is not intended to furtherlimit the scope and meaning of the disclosure or of any example term.Likewise, the disclosure is not limited to various embodiments given inthis specification.

Without intent to further limit the scope of the disclosure, examples ofinstruments, apparatus, methods and their related results according tothe embodiments of the present disclosure are given below. Note thattitles or subtitles may be used in the examples for convenience of areader, which in no way should limit the scope of the disclosure. Unlessotherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein havethe same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in theart to which this disclosure pertains. In the case of conflict, thepresent document, including definitions will control.

Embodiments of the present disclosure include systems and methods forimproving and/or assessing the peripheral vision of a subject.

Human visual acuity is predominantly contributed by the visualcapability of the fovea (e.g., the center of the retina). However, thevisual capability of the peripheral regions of the retina is lesser thanthe visual capability of the fovea and further decreases with increasingradial distance from the fovea. Thus, overall visual acuity can beincreased by improving the peripheral vision of a subject.

Our natural tendency, when viewing or reading a target object largeenough that fixing the fovea's central vision at one place isinsufficient for visually interpreting the entire object, is to turn oureyes and our head such that our central vision can be shifted across theobject for effective visual interpretation. The head movement coupledwith fast eye saccadic eye movements gives the visual impression thatthe entire field of view is acquired using the visual capability of thefovea.

By suppressing our natural tendency to turn our head or eyes, theperipheral regions of the retina can be trained to identify objects thusimproving the peripheral vision. This can be achieved by instructing thesubject to stare at a visual marker that is intended for the subject tofocus on using the central vision. While the subject is looking directlyat the visual marker, a peripheral target is also displayed on thescreen. The peripheral target is intended for identification using theperipheral vision of the subject, while the subject is directly lookingat the visual marker. Identification of peripheral targets, in general,refers to recognizing characteristics of the target's characteristics(e.g., visually discernible characteristics) in addition to detectingthe presence of target. This practicing task trains the subject to usevisual activities to identify objects using the peripheral vision. Thistask also serves the purpose of assessing the subject's peripheralvision.

In addition, the user can engage in these visual activities using aportable device. For example, the visual mark and peripheral targets canbe displayed in a video or an image on a computer screen, a laptopcomputer screen, a television set or screen, and/or portable deviceincluding but not limited to, a mobile phone, an MP3 player, aBlackberry, a Palm Treo, a handheld computer, a head mounted unit,and/or an iPhone, etc.

Generally, the peripheral target has an associated characteristic thatis visually discernible. To assess the performance of the subject, thesubject may be asked to identify the peripheral target and/or anyvisually discernible characteristics, which may be static or dynamicallychanging. A series of tests or practice sessions may be presented to thesubject in the form of a gaming session. For example, a score indicatingthe performance of the user's peripheral vision can be provided at theend of each practice session. The score can be stored for multiplepractice sessions such that the subject can monitor the improvement theperipheral vision.

In some instances, to ensure that the subject is identifying theperipheral target using peripheral vision, the appearance of the visualmarker changes. The visual marker may also be shifted in location on thedisplay (e.g., up, down, right, left, diagonal, etc.) during the courseof a practice or examination session. The subject, in addition to beingasked to identify the peripheral target, may also be asked to identifythe change in appearance of the visual marker. The system can use thisinformation to determine whether the identification of the peripheraltargets was used by the subject's peripheral vision.

The techniques involved in the disclosure of peripheral visionimprovement/assessment, are contemplated to be broadly applicable totreatment and/or detection of any ocular disorder and/or malfunctionthat involve diminished visual functions in one or more eyes and/orcertain portions of the eye, and are considered to be within the scopeof the novel disclosure.

FIG. 1A depicts a diagrammatic example of a subject 102 engaged invisual activities during a practice session using a portable device 150for improvement or assessment of the peripheral vision.

The subject 102 can initiate the practice session using input controlson the portable device 150. During the practice session, the portabledevice 150 can visually or audibly instruct the subject 102 to look atthe visual marker on the display screen. The subject looks at a visualmarker intended for viewing using the subject's central vision,typically located at or near the center portions of the screen althoughmay also be located at other portions of the screen.

The portable device 150 also displays peripheral targets that surroundthe visual marker generally displayed towards the edges of the displayscreen. The peripheral targets are intended for identification using theperipheral vision of the subject. The identification of peripheraltargets using the peripheral vision can assist in the improvement and/orassessment of the subject's peripheral vision. The portable device 150can include by way of example but not limitation, a mobile phone, ahandheld computer, an MP3 player, a Blackberry, a Palm Treo, a headmounted unit, and/or an iPhone.

The contents of the display screens containing various visual markersand peripheral targets are illustrated in the example screenshots ofFIG. 1B and FIG. 5-6.

FIG. 1B depicts an example of the contents of a display screen 120having a visual marker 122 and peripheral targets 124 for identificationto improve or assess the subject's peripheral vision.

The visual marker 122 can be displayed at or near the center portion ofthe display screen 120 and is intended for viewing using the subject'scentral vision. The visual marker 122 can also be displayed in otherareas of the display screen 120, such as, to the left, right, top, orbottom of the screen 120. The visual marker 122 is illustrated in thisexample as having a star-like shape but can in general take upon anyshape or form. For example, the visual marker 122 could bemulti-colored, grey-scale, or binary-colored (e.g., black and white).

In general, the visual marker 122 can include, by way of example but notlimitation, an alphanumeric character, a shape, an image, or acombination thereof. In addition, the visual marker 122 could be staticor dynamically changing, such as, in flashing motion. The visual marker122 may also change from one shape to another or from one color toanother, during the course of a practice session or examination session.Note that the location of the visual marker 122 where it is displayed onthe display screen 120 could also change during a particular sessionand/or across sessions.

The peripheral targets 124 intended for identification using theperipheral vision of the subject are typically displayed outside of thecenter portion and towards the edges of the display screen 120 tocorrespond with the peripheral regions of the retina. Such positioningof the peripheral targets 124 allows the subject to identify theperipheral targets using peripheral vision when the central vision isfocused on the visual marker 122 displayed near the center or otherareas of the display screen 120.

Note that each of the peripheral targets 124 has a visually discerniblecharacteristic and may also be static or dynamically changing. Ingeneral, each of the peripheral targets 124 can include, by way ofexample but not limitation, an alphanumeric character, a shape, animage, or a combination thereof. The peripheral targets 124 may bedisplayed concurrently or sequentially depending on default settings oruser preferences. The visual task of the subject in participating in thepractice or examination session can include, in addition to detectingthe presence of the peripheral target, identifying the peripheral target(e.g., seeing the alphanumeric character ‘7’) and/or correctlyidentifying the visually discernible characteristic (e.g., detectingthat the character ‘7’ has a ‘black color’).

FIG. 2 depicts an example of a block diagram of a gaming system 200operable by a subject to engage in visual activities that improvehis/her peripheral vision during a gaming or practice session.

The gaming system 200 can include a vision marker module 202, a visionimprovement module 204, an input detector module 206, a performanceassessment module 208, and/or a communication unit 210. The gamingsystem 200 may further be coupled to one or more of a display unit 212,a content database 214, and/or an image capture unit 216. In someinstances, the image capture unit 216 may be internal to the gamingsystem 200 or coupled/internal to the display unit 212.

The display unit 212 may be a computer display (e.g., a monitor, an LCDscreen, a screen of a portable computer), a TV screen (LCD, plasma,etc.), or the screen of a portable device (e.g., mobile phone, ahandheld computer, MP3 player, iPhone, Blackberry, a headed mountedunit, etc.). In some instances, the content database 214 is internal orpartially internal to the gaming system 200. Additional or less modulesmay be included in the gaming system 200.

The vision marker module 202 can be any combination of software agentsand/or hardware modules able to manage, generate, modify, display,position, and/or retrieve a visual marker.

The vision marker module 202 may be coupled to the content database 214to retrieve content including videos and/or images of visual markers fordisplay on the display unit 212. For each gaming session or examinationsession where the subject is instructed to look directly at the visualmarker, the vision marker module 202 can newly generate vision markersbased on the particular type of game or other user preferences. Forexample, different types of games could display different types ofcharacters (e.g., letters or numbers) for the subject to identify.Another type of game could display shapes with or without varying colorsfor the subject to identify. The sizes of the markers could beadjustable based on the vision capabilities of the subject playing thegame or being examined.

In one embodiment, the vision marker module 202 selects the position onthe display unit 212 where the visual marker is displayed. Since thevisual marker is intended for viewing using central vision of thesubject, the vision marker module 202 identifies the center point or acentral portion of the display unit 212 where the visual marker can bedisplayed to be viewed using the subject's central vision. The visionmarker module 202 can identify the center point or the center portion ofthe display unit 212 based on the dimensions of the display unit and thevisual field of the human eye. In some embodiments, the visual markercan also be displayed in other portions (e.g., left, right, upper,lower, edge, and/or corner portions) of the display unit 212.

The vision marker module 202 manages the appearance of the visual markerduring the course of a gaming session. For example, the visual markermay be static or dynamically changing (e.g., in flashing motion toattract the subject's attention). In addition, the location of thevisual marker on the display unit 212 could change in time during asession or across sessions. For example, the visual marker may moveacross the display unit 212 in various directions (e.g., left, right,up, down, and/or diagonally) during a practice or examination sessionwhile the user continues to focus his/her central vision on the visualmarker.

In one embodiment, the vision marker module 202 changes the appearanceof the visual marker during a gaming session or an examination sessionwhile the subject is engaged in the visual activities to improve his/herperipheral vision. The subject's ability to detect the change inappearance ensures that the subject's central vision is focused on thevisual marker and is thus using the peripheral vision to identifyperipheral targets.

The vision improvement module 204 can be any combination of softwareagents and/or hardware modules able to manage, generate, modify,position, display, provide and/or retrieve a peripheral target.

The vision improvement module 204 may be coupled to the content database214 to retrieve content including videos and/or images of peripheraltargets for display on the display unit 212. For each gaming session orexamination session where the subject is instructed to look directly atthe visual marker and identify the peripheral targets, the visionimprovement module 204 can newly generate peripheral targets based onthe particular type of game or other user preferences. For example,different types of games could display different types of characters(e.g., letters or numbers) for the subject to identify. Another type ofgame could display shapes with or without varying colors for the subjectto identify.

The vision improvement module 204 is, in one embodiment, coupled to thevision marker module 202 to determine the location of a visual marker onthe display unit 212. Using the location of the visual marker, thevision improvement module 204 is thus operable to determine thelocations where peripheral targets can be displayed on the display unit212 during the gaming session such that the peripheral target can beidentified using the peripheral vision of the subject when the user'scentral vision is focused on the visual marker.

In general, any object, work, image, that is not directly viewed orlooked at by a user is within the user's peripheral vision. For example,the human's para-central vision is encompasses approximately 2-5 degreesabout the central vision and the peripheral vision encompassesapproximately any region beyond 5 degrees of the central vision.

Therefore, the location of peripheral targets relative to visual markersdepends on the size of the screen and the distance of the screen fromthe subject's eyes. The locations can be computed on a case-by-casebasis or predetermined for pre-set ranges of screen sizes since thedistance of the subject's eyes generally depends on the size of thescreen. Based on the location of the visual marker, the areas on thedisplay screen covering the 5 degrees and above range of the visualfield can be computed based on the screen size, and/or the distance ofthe user from the screen, if known.

The example screenshot of FIG. SA illustrates the type of game withvisual targets and peripheral targets of different shapes and patterns.The example screenshot of FIG. 6 illustrates a game where the peripheraltargets are numbers.

The input detector module 206 can be any combination of software agentsand/or hardware modules able to detect inputs of the subject before,during, and/or or after the gaming or examination session when thesubject participates in visual activities or when a caregiveradministers an eye exam.

During the gaming session, the subject attempts to identify theperipheral target. In addition, the peripheral target has a visuallydiscernible characteristic that may be also identified by the subject.In one embodiment, the input detector module 206 detects selections fromthe subject in the subject's attempts to identify the peripheral targetor attributes of the peripheral target. For example, if the subject ispresented with a yes/no question (e.g., “Did you see a square target?”),the subject may be instructed to select ‘1’ on the keyboard for ‘yes’and ‘2’ on the keyboard for ‘no’. The input detector module 206 candetect the inputs and determine the selection made by the subject basedon the input.

In addition, the input detector module 206 can detect user selectionsrelated to user preferences for the gaming session. In one embodiment,the subject may be able to use the keyboard to select different types ofgames where different types of markers and/or targets are displayed. Forexample, the subject may be instructed to select ‘1’ for a game withnumber recognition, to select ‘2’ for color-recognition, to select ‘3’for letter recognition, or to select ‘4’ for any combination of theabove. Note that the input detector module 206 may be coupled to thevision marker module 202 and/or the vision improvement module 204 suchthat proper markers and targets can be identified and displayed on thedisplay unit 212 based on user preferences.

The performance assessment module 208 can be any combination of softwareagents and/or hardware modules able to determine a qualitative orquantitative indicator of the subject's peripheral vision based on agaming session or an examination session.

The performance assessment module 208 is coupled to the input detectormodule 206 such that it can determine whether the subject had correctlyidentified the peripheral target on the display unit using theperipheral vision.

In one embodiment, the performance assessment module 208 is furtheroperable to determine whether the subject is able to correctly identifythe visually discernible characteristic (e.g., the color or shade) ofthe peripheral target. Furthermore, the performance assessment module208 can assess whether the subject is able to correctly identify thechange in the appearance of the visual marker to ensure that the subjectidentifies the peripheral target using the peripheral vision as opposedto the central vision. The performance assessment module 208 can use oneor more of the above metrics (e.g., whether the subject identifies theperipheral target, the visually discernible characteristic of theperipheral target, and/or whether the peripheral vision was used) togenerate performance data of the subject indicating the performance ofthe subject's peripheral vision.

The performance data may be generated on a game-by-game basis. Theperformance data may also be generated over specified periods of timesuch that the subject can track the improvement or deterioration ofhis/her peripheral vision.

In one embodiment, the communication unit 210 coupled to the performanceassessment module 208 can be any combination of software agents and/orhardware modules able to transmit the performance data of the subject,wirelessly or via a wired connection. The performance data can beautomatically or manually transmitted to the doctors' office, thehospital, the optometrist's office, or to any other caregiver.

The content database 214 can store software, descriptive data, images,system information, drivers, and/or any other data item utilized bycomponents of the gaming system 200 for operation including archivedvideo and/or image files comprising sets of visual markers and/orperipheral targets for display on a display screen during a practicesession or examination session. In particular, the content database 214can store visual or image content including markers and targets thathave been generated or modified by the vision marker module 202 and/orthe vision improvement module 204. Content stored in the database 214can be accessible by the performance assessment module 208, the visionmarker module 202 and/or the vision improvement module 204.Additionally, performance data generated by the performance assessmentmodule 208 may be stored in the content database 214.

The database 214 be managed by a database management system (DBMS), forexample but not limited to, Oracle, DB2, Microsoft Access, Microsoft SQLServer, PostgreSQL, MySQL, FileMaker, etc. The database 214 can beimplemented via object-oriented technology and/or via text files, andcan be managed by a distributed database management system, anobject-oriented database management system (OODBMS) (e.g., ConceptBase,FastDB Main Memory Database Management System, JDOinstruments, ObjectDB,etc.), an object-relational database management system (ORDBMS) (e.g.,Informix, OpenLink Virtuoso, VMDS, etc.), a file. system, and/or anyother convenient or known database management package.

One embodiment of the gaming system 200 includes an image capture unit216.

For example, the image capture unit 216 can include an electro-opticaldevice such as a laser scanner, rasterizing laser, wand-based opticaltransducer one- or two-dimensional CCD, semiconductor array, vidicon, orother area imaging device (e.g., 1D imaging device, 2D imaging device)alone or coupled with software agents capable of converting receivedlight into electrical signals. The electro-optical device in the imagecapture unit 216 can also include a light source such as an LED, flashbulb, infrared light source, or other light-emitting element.

The image capture unit 216 is operable to capture, track, and recordimages and/or videos of the subject's eyes during the gaming orexamination session. The captured images and/or videos of the subject'seyes during practice or exam can be used by the image capture unit 216to detect deviation of the central vision from the visual marker. Forexample, the image capture unit 216 is operable to determine whether thesubject's eyes are focused and directed at the visual marker such thatthe central vision is focused on the visual marker rather than used toview the peripheral targets.

The image capture unit 216 can further determine the instances when thesubject's eyes have deviated from the visual marker and log theseinstances. The image capture unit 216 may be coupled to the performanceassessment module 208 to transmit data related to the instances wherethe subject's eye or eyes were deviated indicating irregular fixation.The performance assessment module 208 can use this data to evaluateperformance of the subject's peripheral vision. In one embodiment, thegaming system is able to notify the subject in real time or near realtime that his/her central vision has deviated from the visual marker.

FIG. 3A depicts an example of a portable device 300 in the field of viewof a user's retina 305 suitable for the user to engage in visualactivities that can improve or assess the peripheral vision of a user.

The portable device 300 includes a display screen 312 which is operableby a user to participate in the practice session to train his/herperipheral vision. The portable device 300 may further include an inputselection mechanism 314 (e.g., keyboard) to the user to submit inputrelated to the various functions and settings of the practice session.

The display screen 312 is illustrated as being overlaid with the visualfield of human eyes having the central vision field 304 and theperipheral vision field 306. The portable device 300 is operable todisplay at least one peripheral target around or near the peripheralvision field 306 and a visual marker around or near the central visionfield 304 since the visual marker is intended for viewing using centralvision of the user and the peripheral target is intended foridentification using the peripheral vision of the user.

Graphical depictions of the visual marker and peripheral markers on adisplay screen have been illustrated with further reference to FIG. 1B.Note that at approximately 30 cm distance between the display screen 312of a typically sized portable device 300, the area of the display 312covers approximately 5-10 degrees of the user's field of view. Since theperipheral vision of a human is typically beyond 5 degrees, thelocations where peripheral targets can be placed on the display screen312 based on where the visual marker is displayed can be computed basedon an approximate distance between the screen 312 and the user's eyes.

For example, the distance between the screen 312 and the user's eyes maybe estimated to be around 10-20 cm, 20-25 cm, 25-30 cm, 30-35 cm, 35-40cm, or beyond 40 cm. The area of the display screen 312 covering thespace beyond approximately 5 degrees of the visual marker can becomputed to determine where peripheral targets can be displayed when theuser is looking directly at the visual marker (e.g., where the centralvision is focused on).

The sequential or concurrent display of the at least one peripheraltargets for the user to identify using the peripheral vision during apractice session improves the peripheral vision of the user. Suchsequential or concurrent display of peripheral targets allows the userto engage in visual activities using their peripheral vision. Thesevisual activities, in addition to improving the peripheral vision of theuser, allow the system to assess the performance of the user'speripheral vision and to track any improvements or degradations overtime.

In one embodiment, the portable device 300 further includes or iscoupled to a performance assessment module 308 that is operable todetermine whether the user has correctly identified the peripheraltargets and in some instances, to generate a quantitative measure (e.g.,a score) indicating the performance of the user's peripheral vision. Theperformance assessment module 308 may be wired or wirelessly coupled tothe portable device 300. The score can be computed for each practicesession such that subject can monitor his/her improvement over time inidentification tasks using peripheral vision.

In one embodiment, the portable device 300 includes a camera 316. Thecamera 316 may be built in to the portable device 300 as illustrated orexternally coupled to the portable device 300. The camera 316 isoperable to capture an image or video of the user's eyes to detectdeviation of the central vision from the visual marker. Detection of anydeviation indicates that the user may be using his/her central vision tocapture the peripheral targets. This may negatively impact the scoreindicating performance of the user's peripheral vision. Deviation of thecentral vision may also negatively impact the effectiveness in trainingthe user's peripheral vision. Therefore, the user may be notified ofdetection of central vision deviation such that he/she can make thenecessary adjustments during the practice/examination session.

Similarly, depicts an example of a television screen 350 in the field ofview of a user's retina 355 suitable for the user to engage in visualactivities that can improve or assess the peripheral vision of a user isdepicted in FIG. 3B. The television screen 350 includes a display screen352 which is operable by a user to participate in the practice sessionto train his/her peripheral vision or to participate in an examinationsession to assess the performance of the peripheral vision.

Since the peripheral vision of a human is typically beyond 5 degrees,the locations where peripheral targets can be placed on the displayscreen 352 based on where the visual marker is displayed can be computedbased on an approximate distance between the screen 352 and the user'seyes and the area of the display screen 352.

For example, the distance between the screen 352 and the user's eyes maybe estimated to be around 30-35 cm, 35-40 cm, 50-75 cm, 2-3 ft, 3-4 ft,5-6 ft, or beyond 6 ft. The area of the display screen 352 covering thespace beyond approximately 5 degrees of the visual marker can becomputed to determine where peripheral targets can be displayed when theuser is looking directly at the visual marker (e.g., where the centralvision is focused on). Note that the distance between the screen 352 mayalso be estimated using the size of the screen 352 to predict whereuser's will sit for comfortable viewing of the screen.

Example screenshots of a display screen showing practice and/orexamination sessions that a user can participate in via a portable ornon-portable device are illustrated with further references to FIG. 5-6.

FIG. 4 depicts a flow chart illustrating an example process forimproving peripheral vision of a subject using a visual marker on adisplay screen during a visual activity practice session.

In process 402, a visual marker is displayed on a display screen. Thevisual marker may be displayed at the initiation of a practice session,gaming session, or examination session when the user engages in visualactivities to improve the peripheral vision or to test the performanceof the user's peripheral vision. The visual marker is located on thedisplay screen such that it can be viewed using the subject's centralvision. The visual marker can include one or more of, an alphanumericcharacter, a shape, or an image. In addition, the visual marker may bestatic of dynamically changing, for example in a flashing motion. In oneembodiment, the appearance of the visual marker changes to a differentappearance during a practice or gaming session.

In process 404, a peripheral target is displayed on the display screen.The peripheral target is located on the display screen such that it canbe viewed by using the subject's peripheral vision while the centralvision is directed at the visual marker. The peripheral target may alsobe one or more of, an alphanumeric character, a shape, or an image,having a visually discernible characteristic (e.g., color, shape, shade,size, etc.) and be static or dynamically changing. In one embodiment, animage or a video of an eye of the subject is optionally captured todetect deviation of the central vision from the visual marker.

In process 406, the subject is visually or audibly instructed to look atthe visual marker on the display screen. Furthermore, in process 408,additional peripheral targets are displayed for the subject to identifyusing peripheral vision. Note that the additional peripheral targets caneach be displayed concurrently or sequentially based on the type ofpractice session/game/exam, desired level of difficulty, defaultsettings, and/or other user preferences. The peripheral vision can beimproved when the subject identifies or attempts to identify theperipheral targets using peripheral vision.

In process 410, it is determined whether the subject is able tocorrectly identify the peripheral targets (e.g., whether the target is a‘1” an ‘A’ or a ‘Y’) using peripheral vision. In process 412, it isdetermined whether the subject is able to correctly identify thevisually discernible characteristics (e.g., whether the letter ‘A’ iswhite or pink) of the additional peripheral targets. In process 414,performance data of the subject is generated. The performance data canbe generated based on whether the subject is able to correctly identifythe set of additional peripheral targets and/or the visually discerniblecharacteristics of the set of additional peripheral targets.

In process 422, the visually discernible characteristic (e.g.,appearance) of the visual marker is changed to another visuallydiscernible characteristic. This change can be implemented during oracross practice/gaming/examination sessions. In process 424, it isassessed whether the subject is able to correctly identify the change ofthe visual marker to another visually discernible characteristic. Inprocess 426, it is determined whether the subject is using peripheralvision to identify the subject. This factor can be used to compute theperformance data of the subject, in process 414. For example, if thesubject correctly identifies the change in appearance of the visualmarker, then the system can determine that the peripheral target isidentified using the subject's peripheral vision. If the change was notidentified or incorrectly identified, then the subject may not have usedthe peripheral vision to identify the peripheral target since thesubject's central vision may be shifted locations during the session.

FIG. 5A-D illustrate a series of example screenshots of the display 550of a portable device 500 displaying a visual marker 502 and peripheraltargets 504, 506, 508, and 510 for identification by a subject during avisual activity practice session.

In the screenshot of FIG. 5A, the subject is instructed to look at thevisual marker 502. The visual marker 502 is concurrently displayed with4 additional peripheral targets 504, 506, 508, and 510 intended foridentification by the subject's peripheral vision.

In the screenshot of FIG. 5B, the system determines whether the subjecthas identified one of the peripheral targets by asking the subject “Didyou see a rectangular target?” The subject can respond using thekeyboard using ‘1’ for Yes and ‘2’ for no.

In the screenshot of FIG. 5C, the system determines whether the subjectidentified the visually discernible characteristic (e.g., appearance) ofthe triangular target 508 by asking the subject “Was the triangulartarget filled or shaded”. The subject can respond using the keyboardusing ‘1’ for Filled and ‘2’ for Shaded.

In the screenshot of FIG. 5D, a score indicating peripheral visionperformance is displayed. At this stage, the subject also has the optionof repeating the same game/practice session, returning to the menu, orexiting the program.

FIG. 6 illustrates another example of a screenshot of the display 650 ofa portable device 600 displaying a visual marker 602 and peripheraltargets 604 for identification by a subject during a visual activitypractice session. In this example, the visual marker is a black circle602 and the peripheral targets 604 are numbers.

FIG. 7 depicts a diagram illustrating a map 700 of the combined visualfield of both human eyes having the central vision field 710 and theperipheral vision field 720.

The periphery is a large low resolution field and the central is a smallhigh resolution field. In addition, the combined visual field of botheyes is 180°. This combined visual field generally has a 120° area ofoverlap between the two eyes. The central vision field 710 provided forby the fovea subtends only for 2.5° of the combined visual field 700 butthe head movement coupled with eye saccadic eye movements gives thevisual impression that field of view 700 has a foveal resolution (highresolution).

The map 700 of the visual field discriminating between the centralvision field 710 and the peripheral vision field 720 allows a gamingsession or practicing session for peripheral vision improvement to bedesigned such that the a user engages in visual activities utilizing theperipheral vision. For example, the gaming/practice/examination sessioncan be implemented such that certain visual targets are placed in thecentral vision field and that certain visual targets are placed in theperipheral vision field.

Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, throughout thedescription and the claims, the words “comprise,” “comprising,” and thelike are to be construed in an inclusive sense, as opposed to anexclusive or exhaustive sense; that is to say, in the sense of“including, but not limited to.” As used herein, the terms “connected,”“coupled,” or any variant thereof, means any connection or coupling,either direct or indirect, between two or more elements; the coupling ofconnection between the elements can be physical, logical, or acombination thereof. Additionally, the words “herein,” “above,” “below,”and words of similar import, when used in this application, shall referto this application as a whole and not to any particular portions ofthis application. Where the context permits, words in the above DetailedDescription using the singular or plural number may also include theplural or singular number respectively. The word “or,” in reference to alist of two or more items, covers all of the following interpretationsof the word: any of the items in the list, all of the items in the list,and any combination of the items in the list.

The above detailed description of embodiments of the disclosure is notintended to be exhaustive or to limit the teachings to the precise formdisclosed above. While specific embodiments of, and examples for, thedisclosure are described above for illustrative purposes, variousequivalent modifications are possible within the scope of thedisclosure, as those skilled in the relevant art will recognize. Forexample, while processes or blocks are presented in a given order,alternative embodiments may perform routines having steps, or employsystems having blocks, in a different order, and some processes orblocks may be deleted, moved, added, subdivided, combined, and/ormodified to provide alternative or sub-combinations. Each of theseprocesses or blocks may be implemented in a variety of different ways.Also, while processes or blocks are at times shown as being performed inseries, these processes or blocks may instead be performed in parallel,or may be performed at different times. Further any specific numbersnoted herein are only examples: alternative implementations may employdiffering values or ranges.

The teachings of the disclosure provided herein can be applied to othersystems, not necessarily the system described above. The elements andacts of the various embodiments described above can be combined toprovide further embodiments.

Any patents and applications and other references noted above, includingany that may be listed in accompanying filing papers, are incorporatedherein by reference. Aspects of the disclosure can be modified, ifnecessary, to employ the systems, functions, and concepts of the variousreferences described above to provide yet further embodiments of thedisclosure.

These and other changes can be made to the disclosure in light of theabove Detailed Description. While the above description describescertain embodiments of the disclosure, and describes the best modecontemplated, no matter how detailed the above appears in text, theteachings can be practiced in many ways. Details of the system may varyconsiderably in its implementation details, while still beingencompassed by the subject matter disclosed herein. As noted above,particular terminology used when describing certain features or aspectsof the disclosure should not be taken to imply that the terminology isbeing redefined herein to be restricted to any specific characteristics,features, or aspects of the disclosure with which that terminology isassociated. In general, the terms used in the following claims shouldnot be construed to limit the disclosure to the specific embodimentsdisclosed in the specification, unless the above Detailed Descriptionsection explicitly defines such terms. Accordingly, the actual scope ofthe disclosure encompasses not only the disclosed embodiments, but alsoall equivalent ways of practicing or implementing the disclosure underthe claims.

While certain aspects of the disclosure are presented below in certainclaim forms, the inventors contemplate the various aspects of thedisclosure in any number of claim forms. For example, while only oneaspect of the disclosure is recited as a means-plus-function claim under35 U.S.C sec. 112, sixth paragraph, other aspects may likewise beembodied as a means-plus-function claim, or in other forms, such asbeing embodied in a computer-readable medium. (Any claims intended to betreated under 35 U.S.C. §112, ¶6 will begin with the words “means for”.)Accordingly, the applicant reserves the right to add additional claimsafter filing the application to pursue such additional claim forms forother aspects of the disclosure.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method comprising: providing visual centralcontent for display, the central content including a central visuallydiscernible characteristic; providing visual peripheral content fordisplay, the peripheral content including a peripheral visuallydiscernible characteristic; displaying the central content to a centralvision of the subject; displaying the peripheral content to a peripheralvision of the subject; detecting input from the subject regarding thecentral content and the peripheral content; assessing whether thesubject correctly identifies the central content and the peripheralcontent; adjusting a difficulty of identifying the peripheral content;providing additional peripheral content concurrently or sequentially anddisplaying the additional peripheral content concurrently orsequentially to the peripheral vision of the subject; detecting inputfrom the subject regarding the additional peripheral content; assessingwhether the subject correctly identifies the additional peripheralcontent; so as to improve the peripheral vision of the subject throughrepetition of identification of the peripheral content.
 2. The method ofclaim 1, wherein, the central content is static.
 3. The method of claim1, wherein, the central content is dynamic.
 4. The method of claim 1,wherein, the central content comprises one or more of an alphanumericcharacter, a shape, and an image.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein, theperipheral content is static.
 6. The method of claim 1, wherein, theperipheral content is dynamic.
 7. The method of claim 1, wherein, theperipheral content comprises one or more of an alphanumeric character, ashape, and an image.
 8. The method of claim 1, wherein, the centralcontent comprises game content.
 9. The method of claim 1, wherein, theperipheral content comprises game content.
 10. The method of claim 1,further comprising capturing an image or a video of an eye of thesubject.
 11. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing audibleoutput in conjunction with the central content and peripheral content.12. The method of claim 1, comprising displaying the central content andperipheral content via a head mounted display.
 13. An apparatuscomprising: a display unit adapted to display content to a subject; acentral content module in communication with the display unit andadapted to provide visual central content for display via the displayunit to a central vision of the subject, the central content including acentral visually discernible characteristic; a peripheral content modulein communication with the display unit and adapted to provide visualperipheral content for display via the display unit to a peripheralvision of the subject, the peripheral content including a peripheralvisually discernible characteristic; an input detection module adaptedto receive input from the subject regarding the central content and theperipheral content; and an assessment module in communication with theinput detection module and adapted to determine whether the subjectcorrectly identifies the central content and the peripheral content;wherein the display unit, peripheral content module, input detectionmodule, and assessment module are adapted to cooperate to: adjust adifficulty of identifying the peripheral content; provide additionalperipheral content concurrently or sequentially and displaying theadditional peripheral content concurrently or sequentially to theperipheral vision of the subject; detect input from the subjectregarding the additional peripheral content; and assess whether thesubject correctly identifies the additional peripheral content; so as toimprove the peripheral vision of the subject through repetition ofidentification of the peripheral content.
 14. The apparatus of claim 13,wherein the central content is static.
 15. The apparatus of claim 13,wherein the central content is dynamic.
 16. The apparatus of claim 13,wherein the central content includes at least one of an alphanumericcharacter, a shape, or an image.
 17. The apparatus of claim 13, whereinthe peripheral content is static.
 18. The apparatus of claim 13, whereinthe peripheral content is dynamic.
 19. The apparatus of claim 13,wherein the peripheral content includes at least one of an alphanumericcharacter, a shape, or an image.
 20. The apparatus of claim 13, whereinthe central content includes a game content.
 21. The apparatus of claim13, wherein the peripheral content includes a game content.
 22. Theapparatus of claim 13, wherein the central content includes a gamecontent.
 23. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising: an imagecapture unit adapted to capture an image or video of an eye of thesubject.
 24. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the apparatus is adaptedto provide audible content to the subject.